It’s no secret that superhero movies are currently the most popular genre in the film world. As such, many actors have appeared in multiple franchises, or at least had a number of auditions. Deadpool star Morena Baccarin has revealed her failed MCU audition, and what went wrong.
Actress Morena Baccarin has played a few comic book characters in her career, including in Gotham and her role as Vanessa in the Deadpool franchise. But it turns out that she auditioned to play Maria Hill in the MCU back in the day, a role that ultimately went to actress Cobie Smulders. Baccarin recently opened up about that experience, admitting she didn’t truly understand the vision for the character. As she put it,
I didn't get it at all, I didn't get it at all. I love that [Joss Whedon] brought me in for it. He kept telling me she was like Sigourney Weaver in Alien, that she had this kind of hard edge to her, and I was like 'I don't understand.' I couldn't see it on the page, I couldn't do it. I tested. I was there with Cobie, we tested against each other and I was like, 'She's going to get this part, I can see it.' He wanted me to be emotional but hold it all in and be hard, and I was like, 'I don't know what you're asking me to do. I can't do it.'
Well, there you have it. While Morena Baccarin is an accomplished actress in her own right, even she can sometimes stumble during auditions. That’s what happened when it came to The Avengers, which was directed by her Firefly collaborator Joss Whedon. Although Baccarin would definitely get her chance to shine within the genre.
Morena Baccarin’s story about auditioning for The Avengers comes from her recent appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. While promoting her new show The Endgame, she also spoke about her life and career over the years. Eventually the conversation turned to audition stories, and why she didn’t feel confident when testing for Maria Hill opposite Cobie Smulders.
Of course, the timing of this might have actually worked out in Morena Baccarin’s favor. If she was busy playing Maria Hill in the MCU, she might not have been able to join the Deadpool franchise. Her role as Vanessa was vital to the story of the first two movies, and fans still have high hopes for her– especially given that the character eventually becomes the hero Copycat in the comics. Likewise, audiences have really responded to Smulders’ run as Hill, as she’s already appeared in a whopping six movies and three television shows.
It should be interesting to see if/how Morena Baccarin returns to the big screen in Deadpool 3. While the first two movies were massively successful, there’s been no news about the franchise’s future since Disney acquired 20th Century Fox. Ryan Reynolds has been in talks with the studio, but there’s no telling when the threequel will start active development.
Morena Baccarin can be seen in The Endgame on NBC, while Cobie Smulders will play Maria Hall in Disney+’s Secret Invasion later on in the year. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
